[Vonne]

Freezing During all Boots

Left for the weekend and computer was working fine. Come back and I can not get it to launch windows.

It seems normal and gets to the point where it asks if I want to boot from CD (because I am trying to use my XP CD to boot from). If I choose no, it goes to the #1) and if I choose to boot from CD it goes to #2)

#1)It boots up and runs through the setup and asks if I want to start in safe mode ect because of previous bad boots... If I choose any mode besides normal it just boots out lines that read like this and freezes there;

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows\System32\Drivers
\pci.sys

it pops up abuot 20 of those lines with different things after drivers...

Now if I choose normal mode, then the Windows logo screen pops up with the "loading bar" running and then after 5 secs the screen goes black/grey and freezes


#2)Now trying to boot from my windows XP pro CD I can get it loading drivers just fine. It goes through all the driver loadings but freezes up when the compueter reads "Setup is starting Windows"

I have tried booting to MS-Dos useing a disk to boot from but when I try to format from the "a:" drive It does not even see a "c:" drive to format.

I have also tried booting useing Norton Utilities and get into its setup. I look to scan my "c:" drive but it is not detecetd.

This would leave me to belive that my HD is not being detecetd but on startup, the BIOS screen pops up fine and I see the hard-drive detceted as master.

I am running:
Windows XP Pro
and the following computer specs...
__________________
Athlon XP 1900
EPoX KHA8+
PNY Geforce4 TI4400
512 MB Crucial RAM
Soundblaster Audigy Gamer
Maxtor 60GB HD



Any help would be great!

 

[Der Rabe]

Did you shut the computer down hard meaning not go through the proper shut down before you left. My boss had this kinda happened to him and he had to reload everything. This may or may not be a solution for you. If you deside to not reload try getting in to dos and type fdisk /mbr this may restore your boot record and may correct the problem that is all the advise I have now

 

[Vonne]

That is correct, I have not been able to shut down properly since I came back from the weekend. It froze up and nothing responded. I cant ctrl-alt-del or even use the front shut down button on the computer. The only way to restart the computer is to flip the switch in the back to cut off power and wait a few minutes which I know cant be good...

 

[Der Rabe]

Dis you try the Fdisk /mbr when you booted in to dos

 

[Vonne]

I am gonna give that a try when I get home. Currently at work and its my home omputer that is on the fritz. Will let you know the outcome.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Vonne]

I tried to do the fdisk /mbr in Dos but nothing happned it seems

I also try to switch to my c: drive and it is not detected even though I see the drive in my BIOS startup

hrmmm

 

[Doonz]

slow down.....

Why are we so quick to Fdisk....there are other solutions...

1st off....did we check with the MFG of the hard drive...use thier diags to see if the drive is good....then replace the IDE cable....If you can try swapping the hard drive with a system that works is it the motherboard....

Sure you can wipe it out but if you dont figure out the problems then you are doomed to repeate it!!

 

[Vonne]

#%#@!%$!

Ok, I went through some more checks like you said. I took out my hadr drive and hooked it up to another computer with th esame set up as my original (same MOBO, Chip, ect...) and the System booted up fine.

I also took the IDE cable from the working computer and tried it on my computer to see if it was the wire. Comp still wont boot up...

Assuming that because my hard drive started fine on the other computer, it is not a software issue either.

Now, my next assumption is that it could be my motherboard that is on the fritz. I plan on tyring to remove the good hard drive from the other computer and trying it on my computer to be positive it is not a software/hard drive issue.

So going on the assumption that the otehr HD will not boot, how can I determine if it is my Motherboard that is fried?

I have 2 identical comps (mine which is not working and brothers which is working fine) with all same components and OS's to work with here.

Any suggestions?

 

[Doonz]

Sounds like the MB.....get the diagnostics for the hard drive and run it when it comes up in the new computer....does it pass...also put a Win 98 disk the non-working computer and see if it boots to a a prompt...should even without an OS.... Is it found the same way in both BIOS's.....but overall I would lean towards the MB....see if there is a bios flash...not that it will help you with a true hardware problem but it might fix a random glitch

 

[Vonne]

I ran the check on the HD on the good computer and everything turned out fine. As for the WIN98 disk method, it boots to a prompt just fine on the bad computer... Its just when I try to switch to my C: drive it does not see the drive.

I am gonna try to 1st run the CD-Rom and Harddrive off of the same IDE port on the motherboard. Seeing as how the CD works fine, this could be a short term solution. Now if that works I know the other port got screwed up some how. If I am still having the same problem after that switch... Well I will revert back to useing the othe rport and try to flash the BIOS.

And finally... if none of that works, and the new HD does not work, I will try dropping the thing from a 2nd story window:upset:

 

[Doonz]

ok just warn me when your dropping it huh

seriously good luck...tell me how it turns out

 

[Vonne]

OK... here is a stumper....

I used my good comps HD and booted up my system with that...

System boots fine?!? So it must be my HD that is messed up...

I try my Hard drive on my system again, freeze... so I try it on the "good" system... it boots up fine.

To summarize: My HD freezes on my comp but boots on my friend comp. My friends HD boots on both comps fine. Our systems are exactly the same!!!



OK so Now I am really confused. Trying to Format my HD on my friends comp and reinstall WINXP on that computer. Then I will take my harddrive and see if it works on my computer.

Will post the results but in the meantime.... Has anyone ever heard of this?!?

 

[Vonne]

I give up....

This computer is making no sense... and I mean none!!!

I have 2 identical comps... sooo....

I remove the HD from my bad one and stick it in the good one to see if its not working. It works fine and boots fine. I bring it back to my bad comp and it still freezes!!!

OK must be a problem with MOBO I think.. but WAIT!

I remove the HD from the good computer and try it on my messed up one. And guess what... it boots up fine there too.

So: Good Computer + Good HD=Fine
Good Comp + Bad Comps HD=Fine
Bad Comp + Good Comp HD=fine
Bad Comp + Bad Comp HD=FREEZE!!!

I am at a total loss. I have even taken the Bad comps HD and reformated the whole thing and reinstalled Windows XP Pro on it from the other computer before transfering it back over to the Bad Comp. It still freezes...

 

[Doonz]

have we changed IDE cables through all this...check pins...jumpers

Just a thought

 

[Guest]

You didn'y say specifically how you checked your drive, so.

Have you gone here and downloaded powermax to check your drive in the bad machine?

You will need to boot to a Dr.dos disk first available at http://www.drd.dyndns.org/index2.html

 

[Vonne]

Well it works now... no clue though so the problem will rise again I bet...

I did check all IDE cables and that was not the problem. I think it was something to do with teh HD but cant be positive.

I took the good computer and removed all extra components down to mobo/graphics card which are the same as my rig. Then formatting teh whole thing, I was able to reinstall windows and put the HD back on my machine and it worked. Strange thing is that I did this once before and It did not work. Honestly, I have no clue what actually happened...

So for now it is working, though I suspect a new mobo purchase is in my near future as I am betting it was was caused the error in teh 1st place but I can not be sure.


Thanks for all the help in figuring out what went wrong. I am still going to try running every HD analyzer I can get my hands on to see if the HD was messed up. If they all come up clean, I will have to assume it was the mobo (knowing that is has friend ps2 ports allready, who knows what else may not be working like it should)

Thanks

 

[jake74]

Woah, old thread, mystery still unsolved

Hi all,
I have exactly the same problem that Vonne started this thread with. My variation is that I have a new 200GB hard disk I'm trying to have replace my failing 160GB. I used Partition Magic 8 to copy the failing system partition to the new HD. Told partition magic to shuffle the drive letters so the new HD system partition took over the drive letter of the previous system partition (D and rebooted. No problem. Until I removed the failing hard drive. Then I get the same boot issues Vonne described. Windows locks up during normal boot just before the user screen pops up. During safemode boot, it locks after all the drivers have been loaded. Just like he said, it's a hard lock, the mouse still works, but I have to hit the reset button.

So now I'm googling my way to insanity trying to figure this out. It's very strange indeed. Everything I've read led me to believe that a working system disk copied (block by block) to a new disk would boot just like the old disk. I'm stumped.

Jake